Rock Bottom
by DeltaStriker
Summary: The first story serial in the Shattered Alternate Universe Saga.
1. Chapter 1

The navy blue waters of the Voya Nui Bay swirled aimlessly around Kyrehx's still form as the her keen eyes scanned the muddy sea floor that surrounded the sunken village of Mahri Nui. Despite the fact that she had been trapped down here for years, the lack of marine life in the Fields of Air, and in turn, Mahri Nui, still unnerved the Ga-Matoran. It was not right for a sea to be empty; even the canals of Ga-Metru were home to a multitude of creatures despite the 'purified' state of the liquid protodermis that filled them. And yet here she was, standing at the bottom of a vast sea of water, real water - not that repulsive manufactured stuff that the Great Beings had had the nerve to call water - and there was not a marine rahi in sight.

Kyrehx sighed before she could stop herself, using up a sizeable chunk of the air remaining in her rapidly shrinking bubble. She cursed silently herself, irritated that she still forgot how precious the air bubbles were to her and her fellow Matoran.

It had been sheer luck that Mahri Nui had landed beside the Fields of Air in the first place. Without the precious air bubbles that now sustained them, the Matoran that inhabited the sunken village would have drowned mere minutes after the abrupt end to their descent, or worse, mutated into unspeakable water-breathing horror by the mutagen that leaked up from the massive deep sea trench known on as the Black Water. But instead the impact unleashed a massive burst of oxygen from the airweed, creating a series of giant air domes around Mahri Nui and effectively saving the lives of the Matoran within.

It was not long before they discovered another useful feature of the massive air bubbles that protected their village. Whenever a Matoran left one of the domes they took with them a small amount of air, conveniently located in a bubble that inexplicably remained attached to their mouths. A few attempts to experiment with these 'personal air bubbles' had been made, though all had ended in disaster. Now tampering with anyone's personal air supply was outlawed, and the experimenters were forced to find something else to mess around with.

The Ga-Matoran glanced over her shoulder for what felt like the millionth time, wondering when her replacement would arrive. Her shift had ended hours ago, but Lemiddus had an obnoxious habit of sleeping in late. Whoever had decided to give the Fa-Matoran a morning shift had obviously never met him, which was rather ironic considering the fact that only a hundred or so Matoran had actually survived the plunge to the bottom of the Voya Nui Bay.

As Kyrehx turned her gaze back to the vast expanse of water that lay outside the borders of the Fields of Air, something flashed in her peripheral vision. It moved so fast that for a second she thought she had imagined it. But the pain that followed was most certainly not a figment of her imagination.

The squid's teeth tore through Kyrehx's armor like knives through bread, digging deep into her flesh. The sentry screamed in agony, suddenly not caring about her dwindling supply of air. The squid had latched onto her neck, its mouth squeezing tighter and tighter with every passing second. Kyrehx felt herself getting weaker and weaker, as if her strength was being drained from her.

_As if her strength was being drained from her…_

Kyrehx's eyes flashed open, her hands flying towards the squid on her neck. This was one of those Vampire Squids, the ones that lived in the Black Water and lived off the life force of others. The Matoran often came across the corpses of their victims, gray and lifeless with ghastly black circles all over their body. It was a truly disturbing site, and she usually went the other direction whenever the scouts brought back a corpse that had drifted up from below. As far as they knew, nothing had ever survived a Vampire Squid attack.

Kyrehx grabbed frantically at the cephalopod at her throat, pulling on whatever she could grasp. Her vision began to fog over, and the blackness of unconsciousness began to creep past her eyelids. She did not have much time.

Her flailing and futile attempts to remove the parasite from her neck grew rapidly weaker as the life continued to drain out of her. She could no longer see clearly, her air bubble was good as gone. The Ga-Matoran made one final tug at the squid then collapsed onto the sea loor, eyes rolling back into her head as her world faded into nothing.

A hundred pairs of eyes watched with an anxious intensity as the lone squid brought down the Matoran sentry. A silent cry of triumph echoed through a hundred minds as she fell, one final scream exploding from her mouth before her air bubble vanished completely. A hundred bodies moved forward in unison to secure their prize.

The squad of Vampire Squid approached the fallen Kyrehx with an expression on their twisted, malevolent faces that could only be described as excitement. They had brought down their first prey in weeks, ever since they had been driven out of the shadowy abyss where they had lived before it came. The monster that used them for food.

The living mass of orange converged on the Ga-Matoran, her light blue armor already losing its vibrancy in favor of the dull gray of their victims. The single squid that had brought the sentry down had detached itself from its prey, leaving an ugly black scar where its tiny needle like suckers had punctured her organic tissue. He would not take part in the next few hunts, having drained more life force from Kyrehx than all of the rest would combined. That was the price for a filling meal amongst the Vampire Squid.

The squad surrounded the felled Ga-Matoran, waiting for their leader's signal to begin their feast. Anticipation gleamed in the squids' beady white eyes as they hovered over the prone form below them. Then a single cry broke the silence, and the squid descended upon their prey.

Lemiddus silently cursed himself for what had to be the dozenth time since he had awoken that morning. The Fa-Matoran had slept in. Again. And not just a few minutes. No, his chronometer told him he was a few _hours_ behind. Kyrehx was going to be furious. If only he could find that blasted alarm feature that Fe-Matoran fellow had told him about.

The Fa-Matoran ran about the corner, mentally composing his apology to the undoubtedly irritated Kyrehx as he went. _Hey Kyrehx, sorry I slept in late. I'd tell you it won't happen again, but…_

Lemiddus' trail of thought ended abruptly as he rounded the bend just in time to see a mass of squid envelop Kyrehx, her pale blue armored body disappearing beneath the cloud of orange. For a second the Fa-Matoran froze, stunned by the sight he had just witnessed. Then his instincts kicked in, and he threw himself at the squad of squid.

His first strike was met with a satisfying squash as his blade bisected one of the small orange monsters, sending it spiralling down to the sea floor. Lemiddus let out a triumphant shout as he watched the corpse's descent.

Then he looked up.

A hundred pairs of beady white eyes were locked on him, eyeing his glowing heartlight with unequaled eagerness. The young Fa-Matoran was untouched by the forces of nature that had wearied most of the other Matoran inhabitants of Mahri Nui, still full of life energies. He was a feast, and he had just walked right into their midst.

Lemiddus unleashed a colorful string of words too vulgar to repeat then darted forward, snatching Kyrehx's rapidly discoloring body and launching himself back towards the safety of the closest air dome, the squid not far behind. He was kicking as fast as his legs would carry him, focusing only on the wall of air in front of him and trying not to look back at the nightmare biting at his heels. He could not afford to slow down, not even for the half a second it would take to glance over his shoulder; carrying Kyrehx on his back slowed him down enough as it was.

He felt something small and sharp penetrate the armor on his foot, sending a wave of pain up his body. He winced, but did not slow, hoping the squid would be shaken off by his frantic kicking. He had no such luck. The vampiric cephalopod held on, latching into his foot with more of its tiny teeth. The creature was soon joined by another, then another. Lemiddus felt the life began to drain from him. His movement became more and more sluggish with every kick, and the dome seemed to be growing farther and farther away.

The Fa-Matoran's body was jolted by the impact as he suddenly crashed through the barrier that separated Mahri Nui from the watery world that surrounded it. He and Kyrehx were thrown forward onto the sandy ground, sending the black particles flying in every direction. Lemiddus pushed weakly against the ground with his armored hands, lifting his face out of the sand just in time to vomit up a mouthful of water. He looked weakly down at the unpleasant pool of salt water mixed with sand and who knows what before remembering the squids latched onto his feet.

Lemiddus quickly glanced over his shoulder, expecting the demonic creatures to still be attached and sucking away. But to his eternal astonishment, the three vampire squid were writhing in pain in the sand, their orange flesh turning black and dissolving before his eyes. In mere seconds they were gone, vanished without a trace. Lemiddus stared stupidly at the spot for almost a minute before cautiously crawling forward to examine it.

_The air_, he realized. _The air killed them._

The Fa-Matoran had just begun to wrap his mind around the implications of what he had just discovered when he heard a moan to his left. Kyrehx. Lemiddus wrenched his gaze away from the spot where the squids had been just moments before, crawling over to the weakened Ga-Matoran to assess her condition.

One look was enough to tell him that Kyrehx was far beyond his abilities to heal. Her breath came in ragged, wheezing gasps that seemed to grow weaker with every inhalation of air. Her armor was pale, almost colorless, devoid of the life that was present in every healthy Matoran. Her eyes were bloodshot and stared blankly ahead as if she were blind.

Lemiddus had to get her to the village Healer, a cranky old Ce-Matoran by the name of Kiara. That was her only chance; she'd die within the hour without treatment. But the Fa-Matoran was uncertain that he could even walk, much less carry an incapacitated Matoran across the village. But he had to try.

He wedged his hands beneath Kyrehx's body, lifting her off of the sandy ground and into his arms. His legs buckled under the weight, but by some miracle did not collapse beneath him. He took a tentative step forward. Then another, and another. He felt his strength return to his body with every move, his muscles reviving. He quickened his pace. If there was any chance of saving the Ga-Matoran's life, he would do everything in his power to do so.

Kyrehx would not die on his watch.

In all his travels across the known universe, Gar had never met a being so vain and so despicable as Kyros. The Ko-Matoran was the prime example of a narcissist, in Gar's opinion, and any Matoran unfortunate enough to meet him tended to wish they had not later. And yet there he was, standing behind the podium in the massive domed council chamber of Mahri Nui with complete control over the people of the sunken village due to the miracle of democracy.

"Let this meeting of the Matoran populace of Mahri Nui commence."

Gar groaned inwardly as Kyros spoke. This was why he had been against the cycling of control of the council from the beginning, to keep prideful mahi such as the Ko-Matoran out of positions of power. The last thing he wanted was for the entire village to fall into ruin because some incompetent fool was misusing his powers to further his own selfish desires. He had hoped that others would come to see things his way when Kyros got into office, seeing as nobody liked the obnoxious Ko-Matoran in the first place.

Kyros seemed to believe that he was the Mata Nui's gift to the world and that his past in Metru Nui placed his at a higher status than the other Matoran. He spoke like a king and treated everyone else as if they were dirt. No, less that dirt. He did not have the spine to back it up, though. He was a coward, running into battle only when he was certain no harm would come to him. And he fought like a half-dead Burnak. Suffice it to say he was disliked by most of the villagers for a multitude of reasons.

He never shut up, either.

The Ko-Matoran had begun to read off a list of something or other that may or may not have been important when a dark green figure burst in through the arched entryway of the council chamber. The Le-Matoran skidded to a stop just inside the room, placing his hands on his knees as he gasped for air.

"Ever-sorry for the interruption," Defilak panted, waving wearily at the crowd. His eyes quickly scanned the crowd, locking onto Gar when they found him. He appeared to be visibly relieved when he saw his friend. He began to pick his way through the mass of villagers, earning a fair share of angry glares as he jostled his way over to the Onu-Matoran.

"Thank Mata Nui you're here," Defilak whispered as he sat down beside his friend.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Gar hissed back.

"Well, since you've been against the system from the beginning-start and you despise Kyros with every fiber of your being…"

Gar's only response was an agitated glare. Defilak quickly moved to revise his statement. "But of course it was incredibly foolish-stupid of me to assume that you would let your personal feelings-emotions get in the way of the greater good."

The glare did not leave the Onu-Matoran's Kanohi. Defilak may not have had a way with words, but he was brilliant, in his own way. Perhaps that was why Gar had been drawn to him in the first place. The Le-Matoran had to work to gain respect and honor, he could not simply talk his way there like so many other Matoran Gar had come to despise.

"Anyways," Defilak continued in a hushed tone, "you'll never believe what I found while scavenging around the mouth of the Abyss."

It took all of Gar's willpower to keep from slapping his friend for his stupidity. The Le-Matoran was an inventor, and as such tended to spend his free time looking for scraps and spare parts wherever he could find them. It just so happened that down in the bay the best place to find such items was near the Abyss, the gaping hole in the Sea floor that was dark as night, earning itself the name 'Black Water'. No Matoran had ever returned from down there, and it was believed to be the home of unspeakable monsters that ate whatever they could get their hands on. Most Matoran tended to stay away from the edge, but Defilak had long been known to lack common sense, and he spent as much time as he possibly could out there.

His potentially fatal little hobby was more trouble than it was worth, in Gar's opinion. Defilak was always late to council meetings, if he came at all, and there was always the risk of something dragging him off and eating him for lunch. But still Defilak continued, despite his friend's warnings.

"Was it a new thingamajig for that blasted submersible of yours?"

The Le-Matoran shot him a dirty look, but before he could say anything in response another figure burst through the arched entryway, breathing heavier than Defilak had been just moments before. Kyros turned in frustration, clearly intending to reprimand the newcomer for his untimely introduction. Fortunately the Su-Matoran was able to catch his breath before the Ko-Matoran could being, sparing the crowd from his rant.

"Kyrehx's been...attacked," he gasped between breaths, "...attacked by...Vampire Squid."

The silence that fell over the council chamber was absolute. Had the messenger really just said that Kyrehx had been attacked? That had never happened before. The squid had never come out of the Black Water before, let alone this close to the village.

Gar glanced over at Defilak. The Le-Matoran had a stricken look on his Kanohi Kualsi, and suddenly seemed to be very aware of the contents of his pack. Before he could inquire to the strange behaviour of his friend the Matoran continued.

"She's in Kiara's hut now," he breathed, slower and more steady than before. He was beginning to recover from his frantic rush across the village.

A yellow armored Po-Matoran by the name of Dekar jumped from his seat, pushing his way through the mass of confused Matoran over to the messenger. He was the Captain of the Mahri Nui Sentinels, and as such Kyrehx's commanding officer. She was his responsibility, and he took his responsibility very seriously.

"Take me to her," he said worriedly, his voice lacking it's usually commanding tone.

The Su-Matoran nodded slowly, then walked out of the council chamber with Dekar close behind. Defilak took off after them, offering no explanation of his strange behaviour to Gar. The Onu-Matoran began to push his way through the crowd after his friend, determined not let him get away without talking to him first.

"Defilak!" he called, his irritation obvious from his tone.

The Le-Matoran turned around and called back, "Sorry, I have to go!" he called cryptically before disappearing into the tunnel, leaving Gar alone in the confused mob.

Then the reality of the news he just heard suddenly sunk in, and Gar froze amidst the chaotic mass of Matoran. He suddenly found himself just as confused as the Matoran around him, questions swimming through his mind like a school of Makuta fish.

_What could have caused the squid to leave the Black Water?_ he thought worriedly. _And what does it mean for Mahri Nui?_


	2. Chapter 2

Kiara's hut was a small, odorous thatched hut that had landed on the outskirts of the village during its descent. It was generally avoided by the other Matoran unless absolutely necessary, which was perfectly fine with the hut's sole inhabitant. Kiara was a grumpy old Ce-Matoran who had lived on Voya Nui longer than anyone could remember. Some would describe her as anti-social, a recluse, while others simply claimed she was socially impaired. Either way, she had the absolute worst bedside manner in the entire universe, and was about as friendly as a starved Rahkshi. Had she not been the only Matoran with advanced healing capabilities to survive village's plunge she would have been left alone entirely, but circumstance had made the occasional visit to her hermitage unavoidable; otherwise the village would be short a few more Matoran than it was now.

Defilak had never had the misfortune to have to come to Kiara's hut before, or else he may have thought twice about following Dekar and Gemini their on his own free will. As soon as he crossed the threshold he regretted his choice, and half hoped that Dekar would send him away. But the Po-Matoran only acknowledged his presence with a nod before walking over to the pair of cots laid haphazardly across the sandy floor. Two Matoran lay atop the makeshift beds, one barely conscious while the other appeared to be in some sort of a heated debate with a Ce-Matoran he assumed to be Kiara. Defilak recognized him as Lemiddus, a normally silent Fa-Matoran guard who never seemed to want to be noticed. He must have been the one to save Kyrehx from the squid.

Lemiddus broke off the conversation when he saw his commander approach, instinctively jumping up to attention only to be pushed back down onto the cot by Kiara. The Fa-Matoran scowled, but obediently lay back down as Kiara approached Dekar.

"How is she?" the Po-Matoran asked.

"Not good," Kiara grumbled. "We've never had a survivor for this long before, they've all died before they got to me. All I've ever been able to do is pick through dead bodies, and I've learned more from sticks than those."

"Can you save her?"

"That remains to be seen. If I knew what I was doing she'd have a much better chance, but my lack of knowledge in this area makes everything an unknown. For all I know she could keel over dead in seconds or make a miraculous recovery tomorrow morning. She might even remain in this vegetative state forever, I really don't know."

Dekar nodded grimly, and Defilak wondered if the Ce-Matoran's diagnosis had shattered his hope of a recovery. It certainly had his, not that anyone cared.

"If I had a specimen to study I could try and discern how they feed, that'd at least give us a place to start…" Her voice trailed off into silence, clearly dismissing the idea as wishful thinking.

"Actually, I might be able to assist-help in that regard."

The two Matoran turned to face Defilak in confusion, his statement clearly surprising them. Suddenly nervous, the Le-Matoran reached back into his pack and pulled out a jar full of murky, navy blue water. Floating inside was the unmoving form of a dead Vampire Squid, frozen in rigor mortis. He held the jar out at arm's length, a repulsed look on his Kanohi Kualsi.

Dekar and Kiara leaned in close to the glass, staring with sick fascination at the dead cephalopod. "Where did you find this?" Dekar asked, his voice suddenly firm again as he returned to his full height.

Defilak shrugged as he handed the container over to Kiara, who eagerly began to examine it at a closer range. "It floated up from the Black Water while I was hunt-scavenging," he replied. "It drifted past me so I decided to grab-snatch it just in case. It's in the jar because I didn't want to touch-feel it." He wrinkled his nose in disgust for emphasis.

"The Black Water?" the Po-Matoran exclaimed. "What in Mata Nui's name were out doing that close to the Abyss?"

Defilak flinched, wondering if revealing where he found the squid was a bad idea. "As I said before, I was hunt-scavenging," he replied coolly. "It's not my fault that the best spots to find scrap-junk is by the Abyss."

Dekar shot a glance over at the almost colorless Kyrehx, then back at the Le-Matoran. "I'm going to have to ask you to stay away from their from now on," he said formally, clearly trying to make his request sound as official as possible. "Until we know what caused the squid to leave their home, we can't afford to take the risk of more Matoran being attacked. At that distance we wouldn't be able to save you if the squid did make an unexpected appearance."

Defilak nodded reluctantly. He understood, but that did not mean he had to like it. It could be years before they discovered the reason for the squid's behavior, and there was no way he would be able to keeping inventing that long with the measly supply of parts he had stashed away in his home. He needed a solution sooner than that.

"You know," he began cautiously. "I may be able to assist-help with that…"

The two Matoran stood side by side in Defilak's 'hut'. A more accurate word for the massive structure would probably have been warehouse, which was what it had been before the eccentric Le-Matoran inventor had taken the place over has his home and workshop. The place was a pigsty, with parts, tools and grease littering the floor and several creations in various stages of completeness lying around in no apparent order. The structure was one of the sturdiest in town, but its worn protodermis frame lead many to believe it was structurally unsound, and thus Defilak was permitted to keep it.

The invention in question was a rather large submersible, resting about a bio away from the edge of a small pool that lead out into the open sea. The vehicle was shaped like Takea Shark, with three sleek fins welded to the sides and top of the smooth and agile sub's body. A shark-like tail was attached to the back with a series of gears, chords and joints, presumably to allow for steering.

"Care to look-see inside?"

Defilak's call interrupted Dekar's silent examination of the craft. The Po-Matoran rose to his feet, having been just about to examine the belly of the submersible, and walked around it in the direction of the inventor's voice. The Le-Matoran was standing in the hatch, beckoning with his hand for Dekar to follow him before he disappeared inside.

He ducked inside, stepping into a technical wonderland. Gears, levers, lights and buttons littered the front of the craft while empty canisters of air and a small pile of makeshift weapons dominated the back. Four metal chairs were fused to the floor, the first two facing the front while the other two faced their respective sides. The entire inside appeared sleek and relatively flawless, not counting the the missing metal plate on the roof with the tangled mess of wires hanging from the roof.

"So what do you think-find?" Defilak asked.

"Does it work?" Dekar replied, poking a finger at the wires that hung out of the hole in the ceiling.

"Well, um...I've never actually tried-tested it yet. I've been seek-looking for a rather rare part to finish off the steering mechanism."

"Oh. Do you happen to know if there's a place where you could get this part?"

Defilak gulped, clearly uncertain if he liked the direction in which this conversation was headed. "One was included in last month's pack of gift-supplies from the surface."

Dekar turned to face the Le-Matoran inventor, his Kanohi Kiril bearing an expression of dead seriousness. "And you're sure it'll work?"

"Eighty-five percent?"

"Not good enough."

"It's the best I can do. Take-accept it or leave it."

The Commander sighed, then nodded grimly. "Fine. I'll get you the part, then you get me into the Abyss."

Defilak cocked his head in confusion as the Po-Matoran turned to leave. "Don't you need the council's permission to remove an item-object from the hall of gifts?"

Dekar never even bothered to stop walking. "We don't have time to run it past the bureaucracy. We're going in, and we're going in now."

Sarda stared in disbelief at the contraption before him. "You want us to travel down into the Black Water in that?" he asked incredulously, the doubt evident in his voice.

Dekar shrugged the question off. "We've got nothing left to lose," he answered simply, "so why not?"

This did little to assure the Ta-Matoran; not that Sarda had ever been one to be easily reassured. But what could he do besides climb through the hatch? Dekar's words had a ring of truth about them, they were at their rock bottom. Sure, they could survive down here just fine, but was it really worth it? It was only a matter of time until the predators found a way to get at them through the air domes, and then they would all be picked off one by one. And even if they could fend them off, would living their days in fear truly be living? They needed a way out, and maybe, just maybe there was a clue in the Black Water.

He took the seat closest to the hatch, his trust in the vehicle still rather lacking. If the trip took a turn for the worst he wanted a way out. Granted, a turn for the worst down in the Black Water would probably be a death sentence, but it never hurt to be prepared.

He shifted his position to face the rest of the crew, silently taking stock of his companions with whom he would be spending the next, and possibly last, few hours of his life with trapped inside this tin can. Only two of the four were trained for combat, himself and Dekar. The other two were inventors, tinkerers. It was bad enough that they needed Defilak to pilot the damned thing into the depths, but Dekar had insisted they bring the Fe-Matoran along too.

Feton was an introvert, and by all accounts rather impossible. He rarely spoke, and when he did it was short and to the point. He also happened to be a bitter rival of their pilot, making Sarda doubt the Commander's decision even more. But he was not one to question the weathered Po-Matoran, so he kept his jaw shut.

Defilak appeared to be having similar doubts, constantly shooting irritated glances back at the orange-clad inventor. It was evident that he would have swapped Feton out for someone else in a heartlight-beat if given the chance. The Fe-Matoran pretended not to notice, but Sarda was almost positive he could feel the enmity radiating off him like the scent of death. He hoped that Dekar would not live to regret his decision to bring him.

The two rather worn looking lightstones on the ceiling cast an ominous yellow glow down onto the cabin's inhabitants, something that only served to agitate Sarda's nerves even more. It was bad enough that he was locked up in this tin can, why did the method of lighting have to be so ominously despondent?

"Diving in three… two… one…" Defilak's voice trailed off as he pushed the stick in his right hand forward, sending the vehicle into a nosedive down into the pool. Sarda clutched his blade apprehensively, expecting the Le-Matoran to crash them into the the rock below.

His worries were ill founded. Defilak pulled the lever back to its upright position, the craft leveling out as he did so. The massive electronic lights that had been fixed to the front of the submersible flickered on, then the Le-Matoran opened up the throttle and they entered the tunnel.

The naturally formed stone walls encompassed the vehicle as it sped away from the pool, heading for the open ocean. The dark waters streamed past them as the agile craft accelerated, putting more and more distance between them and the village.

Defilak suddenly pulled back on the throttle and depth control. The submersible shot upwards, practically flying up into the bay. Sarda peered through the viewport as Defilak temporarily switched off the lights.

Rays of sunlight filtered down through the seawater, illuminating the black seabed below them. The discolored seawater was empty, void of life in a way that could only be described as sickeningly wrong. It was not natural for such as place to be so empty, and it sent chills of the Ta-Matoran's spine.

"We're about a minute out from the edge-drop of the abyss," Defilak announced as they began to pick up speed again. "I'll take any thought-questions you may have now."

It was all Sarda could do to keep from snorting in amusement. What did this inventor know about the Black Water? From what Sarda knew he spent all his free time in his warehouse, messing around with scraps that no one else wanted. Sarda would sooner take advice from one of the Hydruka than from the Le-Matoran.

"No?" Defilak asked after a few tense seconds of silence. "Fine. It's your funeral."

Dekar shot a hostile glance at the Matoran beside him. "You're not here to offer advice," he said firmly, ending the conversation.

Sarda was certain that the Le-Matoran rolled his eyes at that comment, but from his position behind the pilot he could not be sure. Dekar opened his mouth as if to continue, then closed it as if he had had second thoughts.

The next minute or so passed in silence, which was fine by Sarda. He had always felt that if nothing needed to be said then nothing should be, and there was most certainly nothing to say here.

Then the Abyss appeared in front of them.

The flat seabed was suddenly broken by a rift of darkness. The giant crater that was the Abyss loomed in front of them, its jet black waters swirling menacingly up into their level. To Sarda they looked almost like the long, wispy fingers of a ghost. Then he realized for all he knew they could be.

"We're here," Defilak said, his voice lacking its usual cheery nature.

Sarda's eyes were locked on the viewport as they approached the Abyss. He was not sure if he was awed or horrified by the size of it. Nothing he had ever seen could compare to what he was witnessing at that moment.

The lights flickered back on as they began their descent. Sarda heard Feton breath a quiet prayer under his breath as the darkness grew closer, like the maw of some gigantic beast.

Then the submersible vanished into the Abyss.

Kiara examined the dead squid with the eyes of a scientist, carefully taking in every detail, observing every aspect of the creature she could before removing it from the container. This would likely be her only chance to observe a specimen of the dreadful creatures, so she figured she might as well take her time.

Lemiddus lay on the closest cot to her examination table, head propped up with one arm as he watched her progress with interest. He had insisted that she let him watch, saying that he was perfectly healthy and did not need to be confined to his cot anymore. After several heated minutes of discussion she had relented, allowing him to move closer. Why he would be so obsessed with the creatures that nearly killed him was beyond her, but the minds of others were not exactly Kiara's forte. If he had a desire to see her gut the monstrosity on her desk then so be it.

She scribbled a few final notes down on her tablet, then picked the glass container and moved her hand to it's lid. Her fingers closed around the lid, and she quickly tisted it open. Tossing the lid to the side she stuck her hand in to extract the specimen from the water.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Lemiddus commented idly.

"It's dead," she shot back as her fingers closed around it. "Last I checked, dead things aren't particularly dangerous to the living."

"But you're going to take it out of the water" the Fa-Matoran answered in an offhand manner. "And if you do that you won't have a specimen to study."

Kiara released the squid and spun to face her patient. "How so?" she asked suspiciously, wondering what Lemiddus knew that she did not.

"The air, it's toxic to them. I don't know how it would affect a dead one, but the ones that attacked me dissolved on contact."

Kiara pondered this for a moment. Lemiddus could have been delusional when he saw this, it would not surprise her if the squid's vicious method of attack had such side effects. But on the other hand, could she afford to take the risk that he was right? Lemiddus had certainly sounded sane when he had arrived at her door with an unconscious Kyrehx in his arms. This would likely be the only specimen she ever got a chance to study. If it dissolved on her, any insight it could offer would be lost.

"So how do propose I dissect it then?" she asked irritably, frustrated by her newly discovered handicap.

Lemiddus shrugged. "You're the resident expert, you figure something out."

The Fa-Matoran rolled onto his back, placing his hands behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. He had said his piece, and now it was Kiara's turn. With an exasperated sigh the old Ce-Matoran medicine matoran turned back to the jar on the table, staring longingly at the specimen inside. This was certainly a rather tall hurdle she had to jump, and she had never been good at athletics.

As she stared at the floating cephalopod, her eyes were drawn to its tail. Strange indentations covered it, marks she had originally written off as natural structures whose use she would determine during the dissection process. But when she looked carefully, she could see the frayed flesh sticking out in jagged tufts, as if a sharp object had cut into it.

Kiara snatched a small wooden bowl off her shelf and swiftly poured the jar's contents into it. Without hesitation she thrust her hands into the murky waters and leaned in close to the specimen. With a start she realised that her theory was correct. The squid had been bitten, and by an unnaturally large predator. Somehow it had escaped, only to die of blood loss later on.

Kiara cursed under her breath. If there was something down in the Black Water that could make a vampire squid flee, then Dekar and his crew were headed right into its clutches. The clutches of a monster.

She walked swiftly over to her closest window, gazing off into the darkness with an expression she had not used in centuries. An expression of fear. Her voice was barely audible as she spoke, her voice shaking as she did so.

"Mata Nui protect them."


End file.
